Happy April!

Rather than having to cope with scenes like this from back home

(Mountain pass that connects E. WA and W. WA)

I get to wake up to weather like this

On a side note, Jon took it upon himself to rent (another) non-mainstream chick flick. If you watched Desperate Housewives when it first started, then you'll see a familiar face. The acting was not so great and the story line was very predictable and unrealistic.

But I still loved it! (Isn't the female lead gorgeous?)

Some Dairy Queen, cheesy chick flick, and snuggling on the couch....I call that a great Thursday night! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Pima or Egyptian? Maybe just some nice china!

The big news here in Tucson is how we broke 100-degrees. Whoopty-do....that only means we've got a long summer ahead of us. Where did spring go?

Well, bloggy friends, I feel like I'm teetering on the edge of the blogosphere. I just don't have as much time to keep up with this! So, unfortunately, posts most likely will be few and far between. Priorities really change when you're actually sharing your living space with your spouse! When I get home from work I mainly want to unwind with my husband and get dinner taken care of as soon as possible since the guy is going to bed at 9 every night! I still feel like I don't get much time with him, even though things were about the same before the deployment. It's been 3 months since Jon came back home and I still can't get enough of him! How am I supposed to get myself to the gym after work when he's at home waiting for me? I'm just going to have to do it.

Speaking of gym, my physical therapist is going to try me out running on the treadmill next week. It's been about 3 months since I last run (gulp!) so my aerobic fitness is waaay down. We've been working on my core strength and strengthening the muscles in my legs. The exercises that once caused pain, no longer do or barely do so. I hope I'll be able to run! 

In the meantime, Jon and I have been recovering from a bad cold. This past Tuesday was our 2-year anniversary, hence the title of my post! Can you believe my wonderful husband actually took the initiative and looked up the traditional gift for 2 years? I didn't even think of that! We exchanged gifts the Saturday before our actual anniversary and were supposed to go out for dinner, but ended up eating a huge lunch that day. I got a set of "china." We've been eyeing a set at Crate and Barrel, but have been hesitant about dropping the money for it. So Jon went to the PX and got me a nice white set that I liked, just so we'd have a nice complete set if we ever have company (highly unlikely with our Sammy). He also got me a nice Patagonia dress that I fell in love with when I saw it at our local outdoor supply store.

Isn't it pretty? I never really expected to find a dress at this store. I'm just not into outdoorsy clothes to wear on an everyday basis. This dress has made me rethink this. I think I'll be wearing it at Jon's Change of Command in a couple weeks. 

So, what did I get my husband? I bought a nice organic cotton sheet set and he also got a nice pair of comfy shorts at the same store we got the dress. Nothing too exciting. We'll be going out for dinner this Saturday to celebrate.

OK so another reason I will be making few appearances here is because I've been trying to knit more. Remember my giveaway? I just barely started Sara's Elefante. I've had the yarn for a while now, but I've been wanting to finish one before starting hers, so she doesn't end up with a piece of poo. I finally finished my "test" Elefante after the setback due to my cold. Even before I started it, I had decided that it would go to our niece, Tilly. So I didn't want any cold virus laced into this cuddly little elephant. 

Success! Well, I think so at least! I think Tilly will love it! 

I just have to add here, I wanted a collage of all these shots but didn't know how to do it with no Photoshop on the Mac. I'm so glad that I checked back with Picasa because they now have a Mac (beta) version! I love this version waaaay more than their first one! Like in the previous version, you can make a picture pile collage, but you can now move your pictures around the way you want. In the previous PC version you didn't have much control and it was really frustrating, hence my boring straight collages. 

All right. Off to join my hubby in bed. I love how he hates going to bed without me. I started going to bed with him after going to bed my usual time and he declared after a week that he was "sick of going to bed alone." I let him down tonight to post on my blog, but I just couldn't sleep when I went to bed so early last night....and I really miss watching Jimmy Kimmel! With that, hope everyone has a good night!

Yoga DVD's among other things

Well, I broke the news to my boss yesterday that I would be leaving my job late May. He took it very well and I'm relieved to finally have the news out in the open!

My sleep schedule is going through some changes. Jon has gone back to work and is back to waking up at 4 a.m. This means that I'm going to bed around 10 and probably just getting up at the same time he does. For some reason while he's on this sleep schedule I don't sleep very well, and wake up multiple times a night. I also can't go back to sleep after that alarm goes off. Anybody else have to change their sleep schedule due to their spouse's?

Side note: I hate that Jon's back at work. No more lunch meet ups and no husband waiting for me when I get home from work. I miss him already! When did I get so dependent on him? I've never been like this! Seeing him in evenings isn't enough for me....I'd be very happy having him with me 24/7. Is this unheard of? I'm blaming it on the last 15-month deployment and years of separation before we got married. We have a lot of catching up to do!

This morning I got up around 4:30 and popped in my yoga DVD after brushing my teeth and changing out of Jon's old PT shirt I use for PJs. I've decided to try out some DVDs on Netflix before committing to buying them so I wouldn't regret my purchase later. I have Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss at home right now. I really don't like it, but it's nice to do some yoga....it's been a while. Plus, the setting is in Sedona and the backdrop of red rocks is so beautiful!

I did this workout on Monday as well and yesterday I was SORE! My upper back, shoulders, and obliques. I was really surprised to feel this because as I did the workout it felt effortless. It really didn't feel like I was doing anything at all. I decided to give it another try this morning, and I've come to the conclusion that this DVD is going back out today and I'm going to try another. I didn't like the poses too much and it didn't seem to incorporate that many in that 40-minute session. I took a suggestion from Somebody's Princess and put Cardio Burn: Yoga next on my queue. I'm also looking forward to trying out The Biggest Loser: Weight Loss Yoga, but there's a long wait on that one.

I've finally accepted the fact that I can't run, or do my cardio kickboxing. I miss it though! I'm really looking forward to my PT session on Monday. I have high hopes they will be able to help me out with my ITBS so I can get back to doing what I love! However, I appreciate that this injury has opened up my stubborn mind to other forms of exercise. Yoga being one of them, and bike riding being the other more recent one. Jon had been obsessively shopping of the perfect road bike and finally found a Trek one he was happy with. Of course, he didn't want to go solo on his excursions so he got me one too! I just hope I can accompany him soon!

On another note, I need to find some time to catch up on blog reading. I miss one weekend and I'm just overwhelmed with all the catch up reading I have! I have to read them all at once, for some reason. Must be that all or nothing mentality I have. When I feel like this, I just don't even attempt it. That's why I haven't been commenting lately, but I'll get to them eventually! Happy Wednesday everybody!

Vegas bound....again....and I'm not complaining here!

We're heading out tomorrow morning EARLY. We hope to leave by seven, drop the dog off at the kennel and make the drive up. It's going to be a short trip, but should be fun nonetheless. I just found out at lunch today where we were going. I knew it was either Vegas or San Diego. Vegas won out with Jon! We got a great military discount for a hotel right on the strip. While we're there we'll probably meet up with Jon's best friend from high school--I don't think he's seen him for a couple years!

One highlight for this trip for me....H&M! I've never been, and when they opened one up in Seattle I was sooo jealous. I'm so mad that you can't even shop their clothes online unless you live in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, etc. So I've been holding out for a trip that could take me to a city that has one of these coveted stores. Too bad I'm 5 lbs heavier now...grr!!! I check their website periodically and found out that Scottsdale is getting one this fall, so I'm excited about that! Anyways, husband has been warned....and he's fully prepared for the shopping frenzy (window or otherwise) that will ensue! Happy weekend everybody!

*Yawn*

I'm sooo sleepy! Jon and I went to the drive-in tonight. I've forgotten how much I enjoyed this environment for movie watching! I mean, how long ago have you all been to a drive in movie? My last time was sometime in high school, but the good memories are from my childhood. Back in the day, you didn't listen to the movie through your car radio. There were speakers which you could mount inside your car. I remember walking to the snack stand and being able to watch the movie the whole time because the sound was audible anywhere you walked in the area. The nachos and the popcorn were the best! We would sit in our cars with the windows rolled down, watch our movies and enjoy the cool summer evening. I remember battling heavy eyelids through the duration of the second movie....sleep always won out! Anyways, tonight seriously was a nostalgic trip for me! 

It was an awesome date, and very economical too: $6.00 per person for two movies. The movie snacks were cheaper than in a regular movie theater as well. It was great....we watched Escape to Witch Mountain and Confessions of a Shopaholic. I wanted to see both and Jon wanted to see Witch Mountain. Can you guess which movie he liked better? That's right...my very dear husband preferred the chick flick! To be fair, Witch Mountain wasn't all that great and was a letdown to the both of us. In all, the experience was a very good one and we will be going back!

Since I got home so "late" (I have Jon's sleep schedule now) I'm not doing the drawing for the giveaway until tomorrow. I've already got everybody down, but the actual drawing is taking place TOMORROW! It will most likely be in the afternoon because I'm going to try out my cardio kickboxing class in the morning (!!!) Check back to see if you won! 

The sacrifices I make...

I just got done watching Step Brothers with Jon. Now I'm normally open to this type of movie that my husband is typically drawn to, but this one was just.awful! I'm sorry, Babe. Yes I like Blades of Glory, Old School, and a lot of Will Ferrell's other movies (although I'm disgusted by the fact that he has to take his shirt off in every.single.movie), but this was a no go for me. I should have stuck to my stance that I had no desire whatsoever to see it. And I'm sorry I ruined it for you by not laughing at every single line uttered--I just didn't think it was funny!

So what movies have you put up with that your significant others wanted to see so badly?

Weekend wrap up

I'm exhausted! I've been going nonstop this whole weekend. I had volunteered to bake cookies for the soldiers of Jon's battalion that are finally coming home. In fact, as I type many families are enjoying the company of their loved ones after a long 15 month separation. I'm going to be watching the coverage that the local news station is putting on at 10 tonight and I know I'll have tears (of happiness)! I wanted to go to the ceremony, but didn't want to take time off work I didn't have and post is 75 miles away....plus, like I said, I'm exhausted.

There were a lot of soldiers to be accounted for (600+), but as much as I would have liked to, I wasn't able to have enough cookies for all of them. I ended up with 97 baggies when all was done.

I started making the cookie dough last Wednesday night because I was going to try to bake them all for Friday so Jon could take them in to work with him. With homecoming information constantly changing, though, I found that I would be able to have them done in time and as fresh as possible by Monday (today). They were all simple recipes. I didn't want anything too complicated if I had to bake a large volume; no rolling out of dough, no cookie cutters, no rolling in sugar/cinnamon/etc......nothing like that. I baked Almond White Chocolate Chunk Cookies, a tried and true recipe I've made several times. I also made my Lime Meltaways for a different flavor, and Alton Brown's wonderful Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Almond White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Lime Meltaways

Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I hadn't made the chocolate chip cookies before, but I had made Alton Brown's chewy cookie version and that one turned out soooo good! I ate 7 in one day! The reason I made the puffy one this time was because I didn't have enough butter! I had gone to the commissary that day and bought one pack of butter, thinking that would be enough since I already had 5 sticks in the fridge at home. Wrong! I remembered the puffy cookie recipe used shortening, but since shortening grosses me out to no end, I decided to use half shortening half butter. They turned out awesome! Even my official taste tester (and his wannabe) thought so! Jon ecstatically exclaimed "They taste just like Mrs. Field's!"

After all that baking I had to package the cookies. I ended up putting one of each of the chocolate chip and almond white chocolate chunk cookies and three meltaways per baggie. I got done late because I started late as a result of weekend traveling.

Don't worry, Jon wasn't left out. I made some Cream Cheese-Lemon Bows for him (and Sammy). These cookies are staying put here!

I was discouraged when Jon later told me that lemon wasn't his favorite, but he actually liked these! I hadn't planned on the dusting of powdered sugar since I pretty much considered it decorative, and come on.....guys don't care about presentation! But Jon wanted it, so he got it!

And I couldn't deprive him of his obvious favorites, the chocolate chip cookies, so he got a few surprise ones this morning. He took the cookies in to work for me.

Those Target bags were heavy! I didn't know what else to put them in. I hope they got to the soldiers in decent shape!

OK...gonna finish watching The Bachelor now. I ruined it by reading about the whole controversial ending so I know what's supposedly going to happen. Stupid reality TV! What I heard better not be true! I liked Jason so much.....

ETA: Ugh! Yeah it happened. Jason dumped Melissa after proposing to her and wants to try things out with Molly. I don't care if Molly didn't know about this but if I were her, I would drop his ass! Who does that? Probably scripted like people have been speculating. I think I'll watch the next Bachelorette since Jillian will be the one.....then I'm done.

How I know he loves me

I should totally be in kickboxing class right now, sweating it out with the other milspouses, but I'm not. It took one call from Jon to change my mind. Well, that and yet another headache. I've had a bad headache for the past week and was forcing myself to go to class until Jon called. He didn't in any way try to talk me out of going. He just asked if I was going and that was all it took for me to change plans so I can see him sooner. He was just 40 miles out on the interstate and I was leaving work, yet we got home at the same time. Crazy commute I have here!

So yes, Jon has an influence on me, I'd say. Although he's not the most romantic, he has his ways of letting me know he loves me.

I love when he'll call after PT just to see what I'm doing and to tell me he misses me. Love that!

The day of my nursing school interview he washed the car for me before I left, washed the other car and wanted to clean the house while I was gone. I got home earlier than he expected so he didn't get the chance to vacuum and mop.

He's done dishes on several occasions and even though he hates it.

He hates going to bed without me and asks me to join him even when it's 9 pm (too early for me, but I still go).

Sometimes he'll accidentally wake me up because he has to kiss me good-bye every morning before leaving for work.

He just wants me around all the time, and I love that!

Savoring every moment

Pinch me--is this real? Jon got in on Sunday night at 9:30. Unfortunately, the whole ADVON group was able to get on that plane, so we had to wait until midnight for the other flight to come in. From the airport we made the 75 mile drive down to Ft. Huachuca, Jon riding in the van that came to pick them up. There was no ceremony, just a few encouraging words. From there we had to drive back up to Tucson. We didn't get home until past 4 a.m. We're still recovering from that long night. 

Life has returned back to normal for me, but it doesn't feel normal. That'll take a while. But I'm so, so in love with Jon! It's so hard to go to work when he's staying at home. Granted, he only got one day off and went in today. But on Monday, I only went in to work for a couple hours. No one was going to pry me off my husband easily! Today, I even considered skipping out on my kickboxing class, just so I could get home and see Jon sooner. Good thing I didn't because as I was driving home after the class, he called me to tell me he just got home! When at one time I dreaded weekends, they cannot come fast enough now. It still hasn't really sunk in that he's staying this time, even though I see his toothbrush by the sink and his shampoo in the shower. This will all take some time.

Well, it's off to bed for me. I'm not going to be so much of a night owl now with Jon home!

The story of how we met, Part 3

Picking up from the somber point I left you with....

In the end, I decided I couldn't break his heart, not when he was away at war. That's just wrong. Common sense told me that all I was feeling (and not feeling) was due to absence. God knows I still loved him, but I had forgot what Jon had brought into my life. So I decided to give the relationship a second chance before killing it. I knew things wouldn't get better if we were still living apart, even though he would be back in the States, so I decided to move to Arizona. Call it dumb, call it risky, call it whatever you want but I felt it was necessary for the survival of this relationship. I was at my breaking point and knew I wouldn't be strong enough to endure more long distance. I was so sick of that! That doesn't mean I wasn't scared. I felt it was incredibly risky, dedicating myself to this move when I was feeling so unsure about this relationship. I put all confidence in the fact that when we were together in the past, it was like nothing I'd ever experienced, and I wanted to see if it was still there.

As you well know, it was. When Jon got home, it was as if we were picking up where we last left off before he left. All the emotions resurfaced and, once again, I was unable to keep myself away for very long.

I've already wrote about Jon's knack for hiding things, including the engagement ring. I never did get a real proposal, though. On our fourth anniversary of dating we were getting ready to go out for dinner. There were no plans, no reservations, and I'm not a high maintenance girl so we decided to go to the Chinese buffet in town. He insisted that we open each other's presents before leaving. I had just got him a Bluetooth headset for his cell phone so he could talk on the phone while he was driving around the post. I already knew he got me something from Tiffany's after spotting that little blue bag earlier, but I was totally caught off guard when I opened it and saw the ring. 

"What is this?" I asked him. After all, he didn't get down on one knee and say something like "Tania, you are the most amazing woman I've ever known and I can't imagine not having you in my life. Will you marry me?" 

Instead, he says "You know what it is. Do you want it?" 

Now I was trying to get something out of him, understand, so I asked him again what it was. He answered my question with the same question, "Do you want it?" We went back and forth that way for a little while until I finally gave up and said "Yes, of course I do!" During that whole ordeal he was acting all shy and nervous, which I thought was really cute, so I let him slide! 

After all that he tells me "Now you can just tell your friends I took you out for a hot air balloon ride and proposed to you that way."

"Uh-uh," I said, "you should have done that if that's what you want people to think. Nope, everyone will know how you proposed to me!" And now that includes my blog readers :)

We got married May 5, 2007. Here are a few pictures from that day. 

Not too exciting a story, but it's ours. I'm looking forward to more memories in our future together. And that all starts on Sunday when he comes home!

The story of how we met, Part 2.

Jon was in his junior year when he had to leave for Advanced Camp in Fort Lewis for a big chunk of the summer. I, on the other hand, had graduated and had a job lined up in the lab I did my work study in. Jon took to calling me his "suga mama" during his last year of school.

While he was gone, I spent a lot of time with a girl whose boyfriend was also away at Camp. Her boyfriend was actually one of Jon's good friends. We went out to dinner, shopped, and lamented about how much we missed our boyfriends. We would go to our appropriate apartments and go straight to the mail box to see if we got a letter that day. We had a little contest going on, seeing who got the most letters! I don't even remember who "won." 

I was so excited when Jon got done. Only thing is, he didn't stay in Seattle during the summers. He still worked in the lab, but he stayed at home with his parents who lived about 45 miles away. Let me tell you, that's at least a two hour commute! I hated saying goodbye to him and he usually stayed late. Poor guy....he was so tired because of me! It didn't last too long, though, as school started out in September for him.

We just grew closer during the course of the school year. I practically lived at his place and he took me to see his parents pretty early in the school year. We spent so much time together I started to have little disputes with my friends. But whatever....isn't everyone like that with a new relationship? It didn't help that I was about the only one in a relationship. Jon and I endured, though, and in the end I didn't lose any friends over it. :)

As the school year drew to a close, I started to prepare myself for what was next. Jon was set to move God knows where in July and I felt that there was a possibility he would break up with me. If you knew him, he is such a manly-man and I really believed that he didn't want to be tied down as he started out on his career. So I was taking it one day at a time and enjoying everything I was sharing with him. I was in it for the long run, unsure about where he stood, but not wanting to crowd him too much. He surprised me, obviously, when we sat down to talk about it and he revealed to me that he wanted to stay together. He was surprised I was thinking the way I was. I was so relieved, even though I was prepared to say goodbye! Throw that tough skin out the window! He listed his preferred posts: 1) Hawaii, 2) Washington, 3) Arizona, etc. etc. We all know what he got....we're still here!

July came around real fast. I decided to make half the drive with him to Ft. Gordon where he was doing OBC. That put my stop at Phoenix where his aunt lived. I would take a flight back to Seattle from there and he would continue on to GA. We took the fastest way: down I-5 all the way down to LA. We did make a stop in Anaheim to go to Disney Land (I had never been!) Then it was on to I-10 over to Phoenix, 6 hours away. I cried a lot when I had to say goodbye to him. It was so hard, knowing I wouldn't see him for a while.

I saved all my vacation and money for flights to GA and then AZ. Every 3-day weekend I took an extra day off and  jumped on a plane to Phoenix or Tucson. We had a commuting relationship for 2 years. That is, until he deployed in October 2006. He came up for a visit in August before he was set to leave. That wasn't enough for me! My friend and I went for a road trip in September to Avila Beach, CA to spend some time at a real beach. Spur of the moment, we decided to make the drive to Phoenix where Jon was visiting his aunt one last time before he deployed. It was a great couple of days we spent there....and it was really hard to say goodbye to him. I wanted so badly to be there when he left, but by that time I had used up all my vacation and I had a tyrant of a Russian PI who was very strict with work hours.

That first deployment I kept busy taking courses at the local community college. I had a whole year of prerequisite courses to take before I could even apply to nursing school. I joined a gym and worked off all the weight I had gained as a result of my boyfriend loving to go out to eat. I ran, did turbo kickboxing, yoga, latin dance, just so Jon could come home to a leaner and more confident girlfriend. 

But as the deployment wore on my weariness grew. I didn't get to talk to Jon as frequently as I do now, and even back then my phone had the nasty habit of dropping calls like flies. The same problems existed back then, as they do now. Jon isn't very fun to talk to, bottom line! That goes especially when he's miserable and wanting to come home. Being that we weren't married at the time, a nasty thought worked its way into my mind: this is all too much for me--maybe I should break up with him. I had my own life in Seattle and made new friends that I spent a lot of time with. Whenever I was out with them and Jon would call and not say anything (much like he does now), I would get really annoyed. We had a lot of fights this way and the relationship was very strained. Worse yet, I felt that I didn't need him anymore, since I was perfectly happy with my friends in his absence. My life had not stopped just because he was gone.

I feel too much...and the story of how we met

As I was watching The Bachelor, I felt a horrible pang of homesickness. The episode was filmed wholly in Seattle.....during the fall, which happens to be my favorite season. Jason stayed in a houseboat off of Lake Union during the visit, so I know or a fact that is not where he really lives since he's on the other side of Lake Washington, in Kirkland. But where they were staying....that is my neighborhood. Many miles were run along Lake Union, I walked to and from work everyday, I walked by that REI to go to my gym every Monday and Wednesday for my group fitness classes. I miss it so much!

Perhaps another reason I miss the city so much is because it's where I met my husband, while we were both still in college. I have many memories of us driving around in his VW Jetta up and down all those steep hills, walking around downtown, and braving the constant drizzle to shop at the outdoor shopping center by the UW (it just ain't Christmas without all the lights and rain!) Some mornings we would get up early while it was still dark out to go run....and sometimes when we got to Green Lake we decided we didn't want to get drenched that day and skipped out on the run for some warm coffee (for me) and hot chocolate (for him).

How did we meet? Random fact: Jon went to the Air Force Academy for a year. He quit and went to our university to do Army ROTC. I always tell him I'm so glad he did because I would have never met him and where would I be now? Anyways, we went to a small Jesuit university and I saw him walking around campus from time to time. Jon was a political science major and I was a biology major, so our paths never crossed in the classroom. While he did catch my eye, I was in a long term relationship at the time. He was just my eye candy in the beginning! Coincidentally, he was also in a relationship. My roommate worked with him in a nearby lab and would come home and tell me about her friend Jon unsuccessfully trying to break up with his girlfriend.

Then, after four years together off and on, I broke up with my boyfriend. We had started dating in high school and he went to a university nearby in Kirkland. Our paths just went in different directions and I was seriously sick of him giving me crap for not being more social and out-going. I was really quiet around people I didn't know and maybe not "fun" enough for him and his friends. I remember waking up one morning and thinking, "Enough!" I needed time to be myself, to grow, to discover who I really was without somebody else there telling me. It was over. I felt so free! 

So you can imagine my unwillingness to budge when my roommate came up to me three months later, announcing that Jon had finally broke up with his girlfriend. "No way!" I told her. "It's only been three months of being single! It's too early!" She kept pushing and pushing, relentless in her efforts, saying Jon wanted to meet me too.

I just gave up one day. "Fine! I'll go with you to his 21st birthday so you can introduce us." No big deal--just a casual meeting. 

He was already a little inebriated when we got to the nearby bar. There were a whole bunch of other ROTC guys and girls there buying him drinks, and I only got to talk to him for a little while--I don't even remember what was said. We didn't stay long because they were going to move on to a different bar, so we parted ways and that was that.

I was walking to a nearby drug store the next morning when I saw none other than Jon walking towards me with one of his friends from the night before. There was no one else around, but I was one of those people that waited for people to acknowledge me first. He walked right past me! Well, I thought to myself, either I didn't make much of an impression on him or he was too drunk to remember me! 

Some time passes and I'm eating dinner one night after school and work when my roommate comes barging into the apartment. She yells, "STOP! He's going to call you to go out for dinner! Stop eating!" I was already done....and full! But when he called, I still went anyways. Our first date was at Red Robin. I sat and talked to him and ate an occasional fry from his plate while he ate. I got a report back from my roommate the next day, "He thinks you don't eat!" Bah! I'm sooo not that girl! I had to show him! 

Details are fuzzy at this point--it all happened 6 years ago! There were lots of group get togethers with his friends and mine and we started to get to know each other that way. There was one group meet-up in particular at a bar for a Thirsty Thursday where I definitely felt the chemistry. Dinner plans were made for the next night. At the end of the night and a few drinks, Jon, ever the responsible guy, hands his keys to the DD and gets in the back seat with me. I was a little tipsy as well....and sleepy. So without thinking, I lay my head on his shoulder. He reciprocated, laying his head on top of mine and we rode like that in silence the rest of the way back up to campus.

There was a lot of Norah Jones in the early part of our relationship, considering that was one of the only CDs Jon owned. "Come Away With Me" was our soundtrack, and one of those songs will definitely be our song whenever we have our "real" wedding. I digress. Things just took off after that night. Jon went from being shy and unsure of what to say to me to being incredibly affectionate and silly. I never felt this way with anybody before and I didn't want to let him out of my sight! We became absorbed with one another and went on that way for the remainder of the year until summer came and it was time for Advanced Camp. 

Story to be continued. Bed time for this girl. I'll finish the story later! Oh and a quick note: Jon is now in Kuwait! I figured as much, considering I haven't heard from him in two days and he calls every night like clockwork! I got a quick little phone call as I was writing this....we're getting close here!

This one is more for myself

I have these days where I just feel totally sorry for myself, and I just HATE it! I've been super moody lately and really grouchy with Jon on the phone. I'm always looking forward to his phone call, but when I get the same questions and same monotone expression on the other end of the line, I just roll my eyes and get frustrated. "Hey. How are you? How was your day?" Never fails--those same questions. It just aggravates me.

Well tonight, Jon tells me he hopes I feel better because he doesn't like it when I'm so grouchy with him because it doesn't make him feel good. That angered me further and I thought to myself How about how I feel? (I did not voice this out loud). After we said our I love yous and hung up the phone, I turned to good ol' Google to look for a way to improve on our conversations. Yes.....I was that desperate. I was interested in how other couple's deal with this. This is what I found. I have to say, it really put me in my place. Granted, there were other websites just for this subject and they all explained how to cater to your soldier and his needs. This was not what I was looking for. Yet, when I read it on aforementioned blog post, I really took it to heart. I guess having it come from a real person who had gone through it made it more legitimate in my mind.

From here on out, I'm resolving to never feel sorry for myself because it could be a hell of a lot worse. I am going to be more supportive and encouraging towards my husband and try to make the best of things as they are. He doesn't need something else to worry about.

[Edited to include pics] So the element of surprise isn't exactly his forte...

I've been meaning to write a post about how I met Jon and all that followed after Loqui started her own chronicle (I will get to it soon Loqui!) But I've just been inspired by my friend Rae's foiled attempt to surprise her husband for the holidays to write about my husband's amazing knack for surprises....and this includes the purchase of my engagement ring.

Scene one: it's our first Valentine's Day together and we are getting dressed for a nice dinner at Duke's on Lake Union. Jon is ironing his shirt and I'm trying to keep busy as he finishes. I have to throw something away so, doing the right and normal thing, I open the door where the garbage is kept and throw it away. I spotted a vase with a single red rose, just sitting there. Imagine my surprise when I hear protests coming from Jon's direction.

"You weren't supposed to look in there! That was supposed to be a surprise!"

My response: "Well, why did you hide it there?"

Could he think of a more obvious place to hide it? How often do I look under the bed as opposed to how often I have to throw something away?

Fast forward four years to January 2007. I'm looking for something in my nightstand, fumbling and rummaging through all the drawers, when I happen upon a Tiffany's bag. Hmm, I wonder. How did that get in there? One of my friends had bought me a necklace from there as a going away present on one of my last nights in Seattle, and I instantly assumed that this was the bag it had come in. I specifically remember putting this in the office, so how did it get in my nightstand? I peek in the bag and realize that the box is a different shape from what the necklace came in. I realized that this was Jon's present to me for our upcoming anniversary! But I was a good girl and didn't peek inside the box. I just put it back in my nightstand, right where I found it, and didn't open that drawer again for 2 weeks.

It was a bit unexpected when he proposed to me. I honestly thought it was just a necklace or bracelet he had bought for the occasion. Oh, but the ring is beautiful! When I told him I had known about it's location for a while and asked him why he picked my nightstand of all places he could have hid it, he responded by telling me that he never saw me go in there so he thought it was safe. I still laugh about that one....and, of course, give him a hard time for it.

Yeah, I'm going to be the one hiding the Christmas presents when we have kids!

And here's aforementioned ring.

I just happened to have pictures of it when I emailed my friends back home that I was engaged. I love this ring, but it took me a while to get used to it. As you can see, the band is not rounded and that used to hurt me. Wanna know the size? Jon's going to kill me.....it's only .38 carats! He could have bought a way bigger diamond for the price he paid, had he bought it elsewhere. But I love it and it's perfect! Plus, any bigger and it would be really annoying for work, as I'm constantly gloving and de-gloving throughout the day. Jon was going to upgrade the diamond for our anniversary, but I've already told him not to. I love this ring and have come quite attached to it. And I'd rather put that money towards a down payment on a new house!